Monthly Archives: March 2015

We all have them lying around our house in a drawer somewhere. My rubber bands happen to be in my kitchen drawer. Did you know that there are so many ways we can use them. Some ways I’m sure you have never even tried I put together a list of my top 11:

Clean a paintbrush. Slip it over a can of paint and swipe your brush over it to remove excess paint.

Mark the level of liquid remaining in a solid color container such as a paint can. Slide it around the can to mark the amount of paint that’s left in the can.

Pick up a dropped object in a tight spot. For this you need a nylon as well. Place the nylon over the hose of the extension wand and secure it with a rubber band. The vacuum’s suction will pick it up and the nylon will prevent the object from going through the vacuum.

Keep your tools handy. Tie it through a wrench and put the other end of the rubber band on your wrist. In case if falls out of your hand, it won’t go too far.

Cushion a remote control. If you have kids this is a must. Place the rubber band around the center and it won’t scratch or slide across the coffee table.

Open a hard to open jar. If you ran out those “jar openers” just slide a wide rubber band around the top and it will prevent your hand from slipping.

Shorten electric cords. Wrap a rubber band around excess electrical cords to shorten them so you won’t trip.

Temporarily fix a leak. Wrap a rubber band around the leak in a pipe or hose and then call a plumber.

Prevent a mixing spoon from sliding into a bowl. Twist it around the spoon to the desired level and then place it in your bowl.

Toddler proof cabinets. Stretch a few rubber bands tightly between the left and right cabinet knobs to lock them in place.

Keep a sliced apple fresh. After cutting the apple, place slices back together and with a clean rubber band wrap it around the apple. It stays fresher 50% longer.

So the next time you have a rubber band think twice about tossing it in the trash.

About the Author: Jenn Scali is a Realtor® working at RE/MAX Legacy. Tips for using the rubber bands is “thinking outside the box”, just like Jenn “thinks outside the box” when she works with her sellers and buyers. You can reach her at (617) 905-7211 or on website www.jennscali.com

I recently had an experience that I felt I should share with others. It was a first time experience and I truly hope it’s my last of its kind.

I manage a small number of apartments for a family trust. All of the apartments are in Woburn and are spread out over 4 buildings. I handle collecting the rents, overseeing maintenance projects, addressing and coordinating repairs needed, bookkeeping and a few other related duties. My duties changed big time when I got a call from one of the owners telling me there was a fire in one of the homes. And so my experience begins…

On my way to the property I received a call from a restoration person who was at the site. He introduced himself and proceeded to explain his role in the process. He was very thorough and so before I got to the scene I was beginning to understand what I was in for. When I got there, the fire department was actively fighting to get control of the fire. As I watched from the sidewalk, I realized there were more “support” people there. I was soon introduced to a public adjuster, a person who boarded up and winterized, another person who did the clean out and restoration, a police detective, a fireman, a second public adjuster, a second boarder up person and on and on it went.

I began to realize I had a responsibility on site to hire the person from each category that I would be working with that would ultimately result in the home being habitable again. I listened attentively as each person offered their advice as well as promoted their skills above all the others. Overall it was like a fraternity meeting. Everyone knew everyone else and each seemed as qualified as the next for the function that they performed.

I spoke to the owner who lives out of state and shared my experience. My decision was made easier by several factors. The public adjuster had a history with the home and had been involved with a past incident. Hired! The restoration person was already known to me and I have known and used his father for years. Hired! And the final choice for the company to winterize and board it up was based on name recognition of the company and the information shared by the representative on site. Hired! Just in a matter of minutes, I had hired the 3 main components of the restoration process, signed contracts for each under an umbrella as the rain poured down and I had a comfort level that we were moving forward as best we could. All of the non-hired representatives left the scene in a flash!

The whole process, at least until we can begin the repair and rebuild process will take a few months at minimum. At least I am confident that the people working with me will make it easier to get to that point. I hope that this never happens again, but if it does, I now know what to do.

About the author: Roland Spadafora is one of the broker owners of RE/MAX Legacy and wears many real estate hats. One of them is property manager. You can learn more about him on his website www.spadaforateam.com

The one thing that is always over-looked in a home is a dryer vent. Now, we have all cleaned out the lint catch in front of the dryer, but what about the hose and vent that distributes the air outside? If you have kids like me, laundry is an everyday event. These appliances are used a lot. When was the last time you checked the hose on the back of the dryer?

These are a few things that I have found over the years. I have had the washer machine sitting on top of the dryer vent so no air could escape. I have had the dryer vent clogged with lint and no air going through. I have also had the dryer vent disconnected. This is one of those places in the house that no one wants to look at. Just to see back there you have to pull washer and dryer out and have a full HAZMAT suit on!

My friend Matt checked his dryer vent this past weekend. He found that it was not connected to the outside of the house at all. The hose ran through the floorboards and was just blowing lint into the insulation. This is a big problem because it could start a fire. To resolve this issue, he cut a hole in the basement ceiling and reconnected the hose to vent the dryer to the outside. Most likely this had been going on for years.

Another one of my friends had a dryer issue and asked me to see what was going on with it. I climbed up a ladder to the second floor vent and lo and behold there was a family of birds living in the vent preventing the dryer from venting properly.

Here are some facts and figures from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA):

Dryers and washing machines were involved in one out of every 22 home structure fires reported to U.S. fire departments in 2006-2010.

Ice dams are all the rage this winter. With the incredible amount of cold and snow we have had this winter we are experiences endless amounts of ice damming on homes. There are countless number of articles and blogs on how to fix these ice dams and to be honest it tempting for the DIYer in you! However, fixing an ice dam is a TWO PERSON job! Hopefully, you will learn from my experience and always remember to put safety first!

Anthony Giglio is a Realtor and one of the broker/owners of RE/MAX Legacy. His clients enjoy working with him because of his easy going approach. You can contact him directly on his website www.myhomeMA.com or read his blog at www.mytownline.com